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Toyota Releases Convertible Version of Lexus IS250C

NAGOYA, JAPAN - Toyota Motor Corp. on took the wraps off the IS250C four-seat convertible of the Lexus brand featuring an electronically opened aluminum top as an addition to its IS250 sedan series.

The 4.64-meter-long convertible, which allows a quiet 20-second opening and 20-second closing, is fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission and a 2.5L, 215-hp V-6 engine, according to Lexus.

Jiro Kawamoto, chief of the division in charge of domestic Lexus marketing operations, said the convertible "is designed to drive home the intrinsic fun of automobiles."

Toyota officials said the automaker has limited its monthly domestic sales goal to 100 units, as the current economic deceleration is sending a head wind to the luxury car segment of the auto industry.

But the automaker said it is aiming to sell a collective 1,600 units of the model a month in 65 countries, including North America and Europe.

Vehicles that use a gasoline engine with a larger battery and electrically-powered auxiliary systems that allow the engine to be turned off when the vehicle is coasting or idle and then be quickly restarted.